Apparatus for rock tunneling



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- Fa'tef ATTORNEY- L. F. PARKER APPARATUS FORROCK TUNNELING Filed April 5, 19:55

`Feb. 19, 1935.

Feb. 19, 1935. L. F. PARKER 1,992,129

I APPARATUS FOR ROCKTUNNELING Filed April 3, 1933 ,5 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEY- Feb. 19, 1935.

L. F. PARKER APPARATUS FOR ROCK TUNNELING Filed April 5, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 3 lNvENToR dei W UdLH ATTORNEY* Patented Feb. 19, 1935unirse y srares f APPARATUS ron` Rock TUNNELING Laurie FQ. lfarker,YStamford, Conn., assignor to Silas Mason Company, Inc., East Boston,Mass., a corporation of Delawarey Application April s, 193s, serial No.664,169

` 6 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method `andapparatus for rock tunneling by means ci which the operations ofdrilling and muck pil-e removing maybe simultaneously. effected thussaving great time and enabling the projecting of the tunnel insubstantially less time than under existing methods.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, ,in which Fig. l is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of arock tunnel showing apparatus yin position for carrying out the method.v v

- Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the tunnel at'the rear ofthe apparatus with the mucking machine removed, a plurality oi drillsbeing shown on the drill rack and dotted `lines indicating the positionsof the remaining drillsvnormally used.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing as to apparatus the sectionaldrill rack only, with both sections thereof in operative position'.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line`4-4 Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 5-5 Fig. 1.

In rock tunneling in accordance with methods in common use, the drillsare carried by a drill rack and positioned thereby for simultaneousoperation, the rack being carried on tracks or skids for forward andrearward movement. After a drilling operation, the rack is moved far tothe rear of the drilled rock face and is not again advanced untilremovalof the muck pile produced by the blast, the latter usually extending aconsiderable distance up the rock face and inclining downward therefromto a point manyfeet distant. While the muck pile is being removed, thedrills are idle. The present method saves this delay.

In the drawings I have shown an apparatus for carrying out the method.Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that I provide a center trackway 1 Yfor a mucking machine,A and trackways for a 1, the projecting portions`being reinforcedfas by diagonal bracket struts 18. 1 f' i -Bolteddirectly upon vappropriate transverse beams 5, as shown in Fig. 4or upontransverse U beams 5X as shown in Fig. 1l, are two sets-of op- 5 posedroller cages 9, each cagefrotatably supportl ing two rollers l0, asshowninV Figjfl, eachA 'setjof cages being in line V,andlvslidablyfsupporting, .by said rollers, an I beam 11. i

Intermediatethe sides of each set of .roller cages 9, at the topthereof, there is welded a side-hanged carriage supporting plate 12having its rear end Lip-turned at 12X to form a stop.` This plate isadapted to initially support a wheeled carriage C for the sectionaldrill rack. 15

The drillrcarriage C is provided with ianged wheels 13, the flanges ofwhich are adapted to over-ride I `beam 11 when the carriage :isrrnovedforwardly beyond the frontend of angedplate 12, as indicated in Fig. 1.The drill carriage is connected to and supports the drill rack, thelatter comprising an upper section D and a lower section E hingedthereto.

The upper section D of the drill rack is built up of an arcuate outerdrill supporting member and 25 transverse drill supporting members, aplurality of drills 14 4being shown mounted in position thereon in Fig.2, the dotted lines indicating the positions of additional drills. Thelower section E of the drill rack isrbuilt up of armshinged at 15 to theupper section and carrying an arcuate lower-drill supporting member fordrilling the lifter holes. The lower section may be swung upwardly tohorizontal position as indicated in Fig. 1 and held by latch hooks as at16, Fig. 1. 35

In Fig. 1, I have shown a known type of mucking machine at F havingwheels mounted on tracks 1 and straddled by the gantrys A and B. Thusthe mucking machine may be Yoperated Without interfering with thepositioning of the gantrys and the operation of the drilling apparatus,as indicated in said figure in conjunction with Fig. 2. l

In the operation of the apparatus, following the formation of a muckpile, as indicated at G, Fig. 1,. the mucking machine and gantrys may besimultaneously run into operative position. 4At such time the extensionbeams 1,1 will be retracted and carriage C will rest upon supportingplate 12. Thus the beams will be free from the weight of the carriageand drill rig and may be projected to the position shown in Fig. 1. Thecarriage may then be moved forwardly until it leaves supporting plate 12and rides upon the extension beams 11 to operative position, butpreparatory thereto jacks carried by the extension beams as at 17, Fig.1, will be operated to clamp the extension beams to the sides of thetunnel so as to relieve the roller cages from unnecessary leverage.Intermediate the beams 11 may be secured a cross reinforcing strut 11X.

As the mucking machine operates to remove the muck pile the drills onthe Vupper section will operate to drill the upper blasting holes, andthis may be completed by the time the pile is cleared away. The lowerdrill rack section E will then be lowered and the lifter holes at 18drilled, the said section being held in the meanwhile'by jacks 17X.

After the drilling is completed, carriage C will be rolled back tosupporting plate 12, while the beams 11 are held firmly at their frontends by jacks 17. The jacks will then be released andthe beams movedrearwardly. To prevent tilting of the gantrys, one or both may be loadedwith ballast.

The drillingbeing completed the gantrys and mucking machinemay be movedrearwardly on their tracks and covered with a blanket to await theblasting operation. Y

It will be understood that various modications may be made in the formand arrangement of the elements illustrated in the drawings withoutdeparting from the spirit ofl the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows.-

1. Inapparatus for rock tunneling, a movable support, spacedbeanie-roller connections intermediate said beams and the support, acarriage, a drill rack supported by the carriage, the carrage .beingmounted upon and movable endwise of said beams.

2. In apparatus for rock tunneling, a gantry,

spaced beams, bearing members supporting said beams and mounted upon thetop of the gantry whereby the beams may be given endwise movement, awheeled carriage mounted upon the beams and movable endwise thereof, anda drill rack mounted upon the wheeled carriage. l

3. In apparatus for rock tunneling, a gantry, spaced beams, bearingmembers adapted tosupport said beams, the bearing members being mountedon the gantry, a supporting member carried by the gantry above thebearing members, a wheeled carriage mounted upon the beams for endwisemovement thereon, a drill rackcarried by the wheeled carriage, thecarriage being movable from the beams tesa-id supporting mem-v ber torelieve thebeams of the weight of the carriage when the beams are givena movement on said bearing members.

4. In apparatus for rock tunneling, a gantry, an extensible trackwaycarried by the gantry,

a wheeled carriage on said trackway, and a, drill 6. In apparatus forrock tunneling, a primary gantry and a secondary gantry laterally spacedtherefrom, frame members connecting Y the gantrys, bearing memberscarried upon said connecting frame members,`beams extensibly sup portedby said bearing members, a wheeled carriage on said beams and a drillrack supported by said wheeled carriage.

LAURIE F. PARKER.

